I´m Not a Gun

The Top 100 '80s Rock Albums span a series of genres as startling and varied as the era's neon-flecked fashions.No one was immune to the early-decade emergence of new wave, from up-and-coming acts to legacy groups – many of whom began incorporating the then-new sound into their bedrock approach.Meanwhile, classic rock and subsequently metal began a transformation into mass acceptance when the edges were smoothed out to form arena rock and hair metal, respectively. The arrival of roots, thrash, and world music influences kept things interesting, along the way. All of it made selecting the period's best releases both intriguing and deeply challenging.Check out the list below, as Ultimate Classic Rock takes a chronological look at the Top 100 '80s Rock Albums.

40th anniversary deluxe reissue. The massive 5CD+3DVD ‘Monster Edition’ includes a new Steven Wilson stereo mix of the album, plus a host of associated recordings, also newly mixed by Wilson (CDs 1 & 2). The third disc offers demos, master mixes, rough mixes and more, while CDs 4 & 5 deliver a live set from Germany performed in 1982. The three DVDs included with this Monster Edition offer audio only content, with the first devoted to 5.1 and hi-res stereo mixes of the album associated recordings. The second DVD delivers even more associated recordings in the same audio formats, while DVD 3 is the Live in Germany 1982 concert in hi-res stereo and 4.1 surround sound.

"During the sixties Adelaide had a thriving music scene. Once used inner city basements and cellars became dark, hot, noisy and smoky clubs and discos. Venues like Alan Hale's Beat Basement, The Scene, Alex Innocenti's The Cellar and Jim Popoff's Big dadd's filled with teen-agers to hear discs spun by local DJs and local groups pounding out R&​B and hits of the day. Bands like the Masters Apprentices, Blues Rags'n Hollers, Southern Gentlemen, Dust'n Ashes, Blues Syndicate, The Vikings/​Why 4, The Others, Sounds Of Silence and many others made their presence felt. Some were lucky enough to release one or maybe two 45s at best, however the emergence of a number of independant recording facilities enables many more to record demos and tracks to mime to on local TV music shows like Action or In Time. This is what we have here, hidden away for over 40 years, the fruits of that youthful energy hopefully getting some recognition, not afforded them at the time.''